Bulls All-Star Jimmy Butler will be out three to four weeks with a strained left knee, the team announced via press release. The ailment has forced Butler to miss Chicago’s last two games. The Bulls are already without Joakim Noah, who’s out for the season, and Nikola Mirotic, who’s reportedly set to return after the All-Star break, but they don’t have quite enough of an injury issue to qualify for a 16th roster spot via hardship.
Butler, fresh off re-signing with Chicago on a five-year, $92.34MM deal, is the team’s leading scorer by a wide margin at 22.4 points per game, though Derrick Rose, third in scoring on the team at 15.9 points a night, takes nearly as many shots. Regardless, the loss of Butler is a significant blow to the Bulls, who’ve lost five of six games to fall to seventh place in the Eastern Conference, just a game and a half up on the ninth-place Hornets in the race for the postseason.
The injury isn’t as troublesome as it might otherwise be, since the All-Star break starts later this week. It also comes just nine days in advance of the February 18th trade deadline. The Bulls reportedly sought an upgrade on the wing as they considered trades earlier this season, though that was before injuries to Noah and Mirotic that depleted a frontcourt that had been an area of strength. Also, Mike Dunleavy, the team’s starting small forward, made his season debut this week after recovering from a lingering back injury.
That should give the Bulls second thoughts about holding onto Pau Gasol past the trade deadline. They’re not going to be contenders with the roster they have now
I agree with you Arthur. Time to see what the trade market will bring.
Not very encouraging that Jimmy either is playing 40min a night (and carrying this team) or injured. Not much in between….
My bet is that Bulls move Gibson and E Twaun Moore for a wing and hope that Felicio can start working the boards down low. They have to roll the dice at this point.
What about trading Noah? Taj is way better than him. Taj is more versatile and actually has a good jumpshot
How can you trade an upcoming FA that is out for the year?